The curse of nuclear power and its associated mass extermination weaponry has hung over the heads of several generations since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We were conned by promises of 'electricity too cheap to meter' when the first British nuclear plant was erected at Calder Hall (renamed 'Windscale' then renamed 'Sellafield) but in fact it now costs more than wind or solar. Now Toshiba, who suicidally bought the Westinghouse nuclear business, is consulting bankruptcy lawyers. Electricité de France, 85% owned by the French Government, is in terminal decline, with a share price ten percent of historic highs.
This still leaves the question of who will pay to clean up the toxic mess from places like Fukushima and Chernobyl and, eventually, Hinkley Point. The militarists who promoted nuclear power as a cover to get weapons grade plutonium? The politicians who were wined and dined and voted this madness through? The insurers who backed these projects under government guarantees? The investors who relied on taxpayer money to guarantee the huge investment required? Or the taxpayers of today and tomorrow and centuries to come who will have to protect civilisation from this toxic blight on everyone's future?

Before the assembled ‘chocoloscenti’ from around the world Jo and I were inducted into the Chocolate Legends Hall of Fame last night in NY. “Without these two, none of us would be here tonight” said Alexandra Leaf, announcing the award. Sniff, sniff.

On a walk near Bishops Caundle in deepest Darzet. That’s probably the hangin’ tree in the background

Our Apple juice with Hedgerow Fruits now on sale in Hastings at Judges Bakery and Fairlight Post Office stores

Dieter Helm’s slide on the Common Agricultural Policy. The US is even worse: half of every year’s corn crop is converted to ethanol and mixed with gasoline...while the US exports oil. The EU member states have to import palm oil (sorry orangutans) to comply with the Reneeable Fuels Obligation. It gets mixed with diesel for ‘green’ buses in Düsseldorf. The UK can’t possibly do worse than this

#smellfie @theperfumesociety

On Hastings pier

Unsurpassed yoga weekend at Fairlight Hall, breaking up was hard to do

Another oil slick puddle

"To see a world in a grain of sand,/And heaven in a wild flower,/Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,/and eternity in an hour." Blake died before oil spills on tarmac became common or he might have seen heaven in this

The Carbon Gold Christmas lunch scales new peaks of goofiness

Potatoes in bright sunlight. All potatoes produce small amounts of solanine as a form of natural insecticide. But potatoes that undergo prolonged exposure to light and warm temperatures can produce unusually high amounts of solanine. The green color is caused by similarly high levels of chlorophyll, which is produced at the same time.
A person weighing 100 pounds would have to eat about 16 ounces of green potato -- about one large baked potato -- to get sick.
The New York Times July 3, 2007

North Circular Road - sometimes you just harden your heart and walk on by